Exploring ethical perspectives of nurses and nurse managers

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Ethics
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Nursing shortages are a crisis, increasing the need for supportive nurse managers.
• Staff nurses perceive nurse managers as deviating from core nursing values.
• Differing ethical frameworks may explain the perceived disconnect between staff nurses and nurse managers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the ethical frameworks guiding nurse managers and staff nurses.
• To determine if nurse managers prioritize a corporate ethic over a nursing ethic.
• To investigate if these differing ethical approaches cause dissatisfaction among staff nurses.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory philosophical approach.
• Analysis of ethical frameworks in decision-making.
• Examination of potential incongruencies between corporate and nursing values.

Main Results:

• Differences in the emphasis of ethical principles create tension between staff nurses and nurse managers.
• Fiscal constraints and varied perceptions exacerbate value incongruencies.
• Decision-making criteria differ between nurse managers and staff nurses.

Conclusions:

• Recognizing and addressing differences in ethical emphasis can reduce conflict.
• Strategies are needed to mitigate tensions during resource allocation and difficult decisions.
• Aligning corporate and individual nursing values is crucial for supportive leadership.